Femslash100's Periodic Table Challenge
by Julie Ann Pope
Summary: A series of 30 drabbles using the first 30 elements of the periodic table as prompts. Sarah Jane/Maria femslash.
1. 1-10

Author's Note: Orginally published on LiveJournal 21 August 2009 (it's a shame I can't format it into a nice neat table over here, but hopefully it's still readable?)

This series of 30 drabbles is one I'm particularly proud of and very much enjoyed writing at the time. A drabble is a complete story of exactly 100 words.

The Femslash100 challenge site has got me over many boughts of writer's block over the years.

*

01 - H - Hydrogen (explosion)

"Get down!" shouted Sarah Jane. Both women dove to the floor in the hope they could shield themselves from the explosion that rocketed through the warehouse. Maria came to first and scrambled over to where her companion lay, unconscious and slightly singed. She shook the older woman and shouted in her ear in an attempt to rouse her. After a few tense moments Sarah Jane opened her eyes.

"Close call, huh?" she said, still a little groggy. Maria bent down and kissed her firmly on the lips.

"Please, don't even joke about it." Sarah Jane gave Maria a weak smile.

*

02 - He - Helium (balloons)

Sarah Jane had just stepped out of the shower when the doorbell rang. Annoyingly she had to dress quickly and answer it herself as Luke had spent the night over at Clyde's. The postman handed over a large box that needed signing for. Once she had settled with a cup of tea in living room, she began opening each flap of cardboard carefully before jumping in surprise at the array of helium balloons that popped out of the package. They were tied to a teddy bear with a note attached.

"Happy 60th Birthday Sarah Jane. All my love, Maria xxx"

*

03 - Li - Lithium (battery)

Maria watched her friend sleeping peacefully on the settee. She rarely saw Sarah Jane tired, let alone sleep. It's like she had some kind of lithium battery attached internally that never ran out of power. Her youthful enthusiasm regarding even the nastiest of Aliens kept them all buoyant at times when they so desperately needed it. Maria carefully covered Sarah Jane with a blanket, bent down and kissed her cheek. The older woman sighed deeply in her sleep and snuggled further into the blanket. Maria smiled to herself; whatever would she do without this beautiful, marvellous woman in her life?

*

04 - Be - Beryllium (florescent light)

The element in the florescent tube crackled, then fizzed and suddenly the room was shrouded in darkness. Both women reached out at the same time, clasping each other's hands tightly.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Maria asked her companion rhetorically. Sarah Jane squeezed the hand she was holding in a gesture of reassurance.

"Take my lead." Sarah Jane felt the walls as they cautiously moved around the building. She stopped abruptly; Maria continued and crashed into her. Suddenly they were too close and all Sarah could feel was Maria's breath mixing with hers in the darkness.

*

05 - B - Boron (pyrex glass)

Maria was enjoying the impromptu cooking lesson she was giving Sarah Jane. Food had always been somewhat functional for the older woman. The dinners she had served Luke over the years had been quick, but nutritious. Maria stood over Sarah as she sliced the par-boiled potatoes and layered them up in the Pyrex dish along with double cream, garlic and a little salt and pepper. The younger woman grinned as Sarah Jane stood back and surveyed her handiwork with pride. Maria leant forward and wiped off some potato from the tip of her nose before giving it a playful kiss.

*

06 - C - Carbon (diamond) :

Sarah Jane carefully handed Maria the small red velvet box. She smiled gently as the younger woman opened it with great care. The younger woman gasped as she saw the delicate gold chain and small diamond pendant that hung through it. It was obviously old, but still gleamed brightly in its casing.

"It was my mother's."

"Oh, Sarah Jane! I can't accept this, it's far too precious."

"No Maria, I want you to have it. It's just as precious as you are." Sarah Jane tenderly placed the chain around Maria's neck and kissed her cheek as she fixed the clasp.

*

07 - N - Nitrogen (beer widget)

Maria dumped her rucksack on the living room sofa and walked straight into the kitchen. She opened the fridge door and took out an ice cold can of Fosters. She yanked the ring pull back sharply and took a long swig of the amber nectar straight from the can.

"Can't you at least put that in a glass?" Maria hadn't noticed Sarah Jane sitting at the table.

"And a hello would have been nice!" Maria kissed her lover on the cheek.

"Sorry, it's been a long day." Sarah took the can from Maria, and downed half before handing it back.

*

08 - O - Oxygen (oxygen mask)

Time seemed to slow as Maria was carried into the back of the ambulance. Even though Sarah Jane had tried to explain who she was, she was still asked to wait outside. The sirens were off, but those frightening emergency lights continued to rotate and flash on top of the vehicle. Finally after ten maddening minutes she was allowed on board. Maria was barely conscious and her face was obscured by the oxygen mask that was helping her to breathe. Sarah brushed some hair away from Maria's damp forehead and pressed a gentle kiss to her brow in its place.

*

09 - F - Fluorine (toothpaste)

Sarah Jane looked in the mirror as she carefully brushed her teeth. She had just thrown up what little dinner she had managed to eat. She was feeling very old these days, the illness having taken its toll on her once age-defying looks. Her skin was grey and sallow, her eyes were highlighted by the dark shadows around them and her teeth were decaying in her bleeding gums. Sarah spat a pink plume of toothpaste into the basin as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a soft kiss was lovingly pressed in-between her shoulder blades.

*

10 - Ne - Neon (lights)

The neon lights in the nightclub seemed to swirl and dip faster and faster. A glitter ball that hung in the middle of the room caught and reflected the lights across the dance floor. Maria pulled Sarah Jane up from her seat by the bar and dragged her to the centre of the crowd. 'Dancing Queen' was playing and the atmosphere felt amazing. Technically they weren't supposed to be enjoying themselves, but Maria saw no harm in making their cover story seem more realistic by joining in. She wrapped her arms around Sarah's denim clad hips and held her tightly.


	2. 11-20

11 - Na - Sodium (saltwater)

Kissing Maria Jackson when you were knee-deep in the Brighton sea, wearing only your knickers and a thin tee shirt felt as liberating as it sounded, thought Sarah Jane. Ok, so her hair was blowing everywhere and getting tangled, which was going to be a bugger to comb out later on. Her nipples stood proud, but from the chilly air instead of from arousal. And she could feel the gritty, salty sand in places she didn't dare think about. But it was all worth it for this precious romantic moment with Maria in her embrace and love in their hearts.

*

12 - Mg - Magnesium (milk of magnesia)

Maria had pulled out all the stops; a three course meal, cooked entirely from scratch, a selection of wine to suit each course and coffee and a cheese board afterwards. It was completely over the top and far too much food for the two of them, but Sarah Jane indulged her girlfriend. It was one of their anniversaries after all, and Maria had gone to a lot of effort. The only unfortunate side effect was heartburn and a very rounded stomach. Maria was kind enough to mix up a glass of milk of magnesia which would help alleviate her symptoms.

*

13 - Al - Aluminium (foil)

You know, this would be romantic if it weren't for the Aliens masquerading as humans..."

Maria was sitting in the passenger seat of Sarah Jane's Nissan. She peered over the older woman's shoulder, who was sitting in the drivers' seat looking through some binoculars. Maria reached an arm around her waist, which was promptly swatted away.

"..and the fact that I'm starving!"

"You're always hungry."

Maria twisted her body through the gap between the seats and pulled out a foil wrapped bundle of sandwiches from the back seat. Sarah rolled her eyes behind the binoculars, but couldn't resist a grin.

*

14 - Si - Silicon (computer/micro chip)

Sarah Jane stood at the workbench in the attic with an array of electrical parts spread before her. Currently she had the guts of Maria's mobile phone hanging from its casing and was doing something to it with her lipstick.

"I hope that's not going to wipe the sim card? I've got some important numbers in there."

"Have you now? Anyone I should be worried about?" Maria grinned.

"What are you doing?" she asked the older woman.

"I thought it was time it had an upgrade, something a little more...sonic?" Maria couldn't contain the look of glee on her face.

*

15 - P - Phosphorus (matches)

Sarah Jane struck the match against the side of the box and lit the candle, aiding the flame by loosely cupping her hand around the wick. She lit three more with the same match before blowing it out. As she surveyed the dining table she found that she was nervous. Big romantic gestures weren't her thing, never had been, and she still wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. Her relationship with Maria was changing, and as frightening as it was, Sarah Jane knew better than anyone that life was too short. She just hoped Maria felt the same.

*

16 - S - Sulphur (dried fruit preservative)

"You're baking again? What is it this time?" Sarah Jane asked her younger lover as she dipped a finger into the mixing bowl full of chopped fruit and batter.

"Fruitcake." Maria replied with a cheeky grin, indicating she'd meant the double-entendre. Sarah Jane stuck her finger in her mouth and noisily licked off the mixture. Maria suddenly found her mouth had gone dry; touché she thought.

"I'm surprised you're as slim as you are with the amount you bake." Sarah Jane dipped her finger in the mixture again.

"Don't worry; keep that up and we'll be getting plenty of exercise!"

*

17 - Cl - Chlorine (swimming pool chemical)

 _you get a treat with this one folks - a double drabble!_

Maria sat on the edge of the pool with her legs dangling over the side into the water. She lounged back on her elbows and soaked up the summer sun. She'd just been for a dip to cool down from the intense heat of the day. She heard movement from behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see what was going on. Standing watching her were Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani. She almost fell back into the water in shock.

"Oh my God! What are you lot doing here?"

"Surprise!" They yelled in unison as Alan joined them.

*

Maria watched surreptitiously from behind her sunglasses at her friends enjoying themselves in the swimming pool. She was thrilled to have them all here in Washington, but it was Sarah Jane who she was really watching. God, how she had missed seeing her in the flesh, which quite aptly was the very reason Maria was staring. Her breath seemed to have escaped her lungs the moment that the older woman had stepped into her field of vision wearing a swimming costume. Sarah Jane caught her gaze, even through the sunglasses, and Maria felt the embarrassed blush rise in her cheeks.

*

18 - Ar - Argon (Argon's full outer shell makes it stable and resistant to bonding with other elements)

Once Chrissie had finally allowed the penny to drop and understood that her attempts to fix Maria up with eligible bachelors were futile, she began to round up the available women folk of Washington. Week after week Maria regaled Sarah Jane with the hilarious, but embarrassing, tales of blind dates, cheap wine and clumsy kisses.

"They can't all be bad." Sarah Jane said one evening via videophone.

"You go out with one of them then!" Maria grew frustrated, just when would Sarah Jane get it?

"It sounds like your heart's not in it? What's holding you back?"

"They're not you."

*

19 - K - Potassium (highly reactive)

Sarah Jane pressed gentle kisses into the plump flesh of Maria's breast. The younger woman's breath hitched in her throat and her whole body shivered with the sensation. Sarah ensured that she paid great attention to each breast, kissing and licking Maria's sweet skin, always getting close, but deliberately missing Maria's sensitive nipples. Maria's breath came in short pants and the anticipation built low in her groin which made her slick and wet. Suddenly Sarah brushed her tongue over a nipple and Maria let out a delicious moan. Encouraged, Sarah Jane latched onto the hardened nub and bit down gently.

*

20 - Ca - Calcium (milk)

Sarah Jane watched Maria slurp the dregs of her milkshake through the straw with an amused smile. Maria had taken her friend to her favourite diner in Washington, and she'd been told she 'just had to try' their luxury ice cream. Sarah Jane popped a spoonful of said ice cream into her mouth and let it melt on her tongue before she swallowed it down. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sheer indulgence of it, almost orgasmic in its taste and decadence. Sarah opened her eyes to Maria's knowing smirk and raised eyebrow and burst into a girly giggle.


	3. 21-30

21 - Sc - Scandium (Smith Wesson produces revolvers with frames composed of scandium alloy)

Maria felt the weight of the gun in her palm. It was heavier than she'd imagined it would be, and far more scarier in real life. Sarah Jane made out that she would probably be a rubbish shot and refused to take one, even if it was for her own protection. Maria knew that she had used one in the past, but she suspected the refusal was because Sarah Jane hated guns, not because she couldn't shoot. Maria didn't particularly like the idea of it either, but if it meant she could protect Sarah Jane, she'd willingly carry the weapon.

*

22 - Ti - Titanium (rings)

Maria laid along the length of the settee with her head against Sarah Jane's chest. The older woman's arms were wrapped around her middle and Maria was studying the hands that were resting on her stomach. Maria traced her fingertips around the rings that nestled comfortably on her lover's fingers.

"Would you have liked a wedding ring?" Sarah Jane took a few moments to answer the surprising question.

"Not to have marked me as someone else's possession, no. But for the sentiment behind it, to know I'm loved, I'd have to be honest and say yes."

"Would you marry me?"

*

23 - V - Vanadium (vanadium steel used for applications in axles, bicycle frames, crankshafts, gears)

 _I really tried to have thirty 100-word drabbles or at least two 100 word self-contained drabbles, but this one just wrote itself._

Maria watched as Sarah Jane stood back from the project she'd been working on for days, and smiled in smug self-satisfaction.

"What on earth is that?" Maria thought that perhaps she should be used to her lover's strange contraptions and what-nots these days. On the other hand, perhaps Sarah preferred her not to know, just so she had the pleasure of explaining it all to her. Sarah had yet to realise, but she was becoming more like the Doctor everyday. Right down to that manic grin and look in her eyes when she had just come up with some hair-brained scheme or other.

"That, my dear sweet Maria, is a contrapto-gizmo." The younger woman stared at Sarah Jane in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right?" Sarah spoke in all seriousness.

"See that bit that looks like a bicycle frame?"

"Clyde's busted one that he dumped round here about four years ago?" Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well...try not to think of it like that. Anyway, it detects micro particles in the atmosphere."

"Micro particles of what?"

"Don't worry about that right now. Now, look at that bit there, that transmits..." Maria got the feeling it was going to be a long night.

*

24 - Cr - Chromium (used to manufacture magnetic tape used in high performance audio tape and standard audio cassette)

Maria popped the cassette into the machine and depressed the play button. Her dad had put all his tapes into storage when they'd moved to Washington and she'd just been to collect them. She couldn't help but laugh aloud at the cheesiness of the eighties. It made her glad she was born in the 90's! Suddenly her laughter gave way to tears and she sobbed as she stood in the middle of the attic. Sarah Jane came through the door with tea and abandoned it in favour of wrapping her arms around her younger lover.

"I can't believe he's gone."

*

25 - Mn - Manganese (the human body contains about 10 mg of manganese, stored mainly in the liver and kidneys - liver filters alcohol)

Maria had never seen Sarah Jane drunk. But here she was, sprawled out on the floor of the attic surrounded by trinkets, photographs and scraps of paper that looked like bits of letters. Sarah wasn't a happy drunk, on this occasion at least, and had an air of depression about her. Maria could make out the tracks of her tears in the moonlight, and caught sight of the half-empty whisky bottle on the desk. Maria would stay the night, she'd be there for when Sarah woke up then threw up. She'd be embarrassed, remorseful and Maria would still love her.

*

26 - Fe - Iron (prison bars)

Their eyes met in silent communication. It was painful to sit across from her, unable to touch each other, unable to offer that small gesture of reassurance or minute sign of affection, to make it all seem better, if only for a moment. The iron bars appeared ominous, slightly rusty, grey and dirty, heavy-set and felt as claustrophobic as they looked. One was imprisoned on the inside, locked night after night in a sardine box of a room while the other was imprisoned on the outside, trapped by circumstance and without the one person that mattered most in her life.

*

27 - Co - Cobalt (gives a distinctive deep blue color to glass, ceramics, inks, paints, and varnishes)

"It's umm...very blue..."

"Cobalt actually."

"That makes it better then! Can I ask what you were thinking?"

"You can ask."

"Are you feeling alright Sarah Jane?"

"Perfectly."

"Then what are you hiding behind your back?"

"Nothing."

"Hand it over."

"Nope."

"Sarah Jane! Stop it, it's not funny anymore. Don't grin at me like that! I'm being serious."

"You're always so serious, you should lighten up."

"This is getting ridiculous! What happened while I was away for the weekend? Why is the entire attic, including Mr Smith, covered in blue paint? And why are you holding a bunch of blue celery?"

*

28 - Ni - Nickel (rechargeable batteries)

Everyone had gathered outside the registry office awaiting the emergence of the newly weds. There were mutterings of 'wasn't it a lovely ceremony?' and 'didn't she look gorgeous?' amongst the sounds of people reaching for confetti and opening the boxes ready. Except one person who was too pre-occupied with finding the batteries to go in her camera, until she was nudged in the side.

"Hurry up - you'll miss Rani's big moment."

"I wasn't the one who packed the camera and batteries separately!" Sarah Jane mouthed an 'oops' before bending down and soundly kissing Maria by way of an apology.

*

29 - Cu - Copper (brass coating for bullets)

 _another double drabble for your reading pleasure_

The shot reverberated painfully in Maria's ears and made everyone stop in their tracks with the shock of it. She turned to check on her friends but spotted Sarah Jane lying on the floor clutching at her waist instead. Maria ran to her side and immediately pulled up her top to inspect the damage. Sarah Jane groaned in agony and the blood oozed out of her at an alarming rate. Maria took off her denim jacket, scrunched it up and put it on top of the wound. She muttered an apology as she pressed down hard to staunch the flow.

*

"Keep after them, and call an ambulance!" Maria shouted to the boys, who hesitated briefly before following Maria's instructions. Sarah had slipped into unconsciousness, so Maria shook her shoulders with one hand whilst keeping the other on her jacket.

"Sarah Jane, wake up. You need to stay awake." The older woman's eyes opened a fraction.

"That's it! Come on, stay with me." Sarah Jane's brow creased in pain.

"I know it hurts, an ambulance is on its way." Sarah Jane's eyes flickered. A few tears fell down Maria's cheeks.

"Please hang on, I love you Sarah Jane. I love you."

*

30 - Zn - Zinc (brass)

Sarah Jane Smith sat at her kitchen table and twirled the brass key in her fingers, seemingly scrutinising each and every facet of it. Out of all the things she'd seen and done in her life, this seemed one of the scariest. It wasn't just the key to her home, it was also the key to her previously bruised and battered heart. It was a symbolic gesture really, but one in which Maria would fully understand and appreciate. The younger woman had an aura far older than her years and Sarah suspected their paths had always been destined to entwine.


End file.
